Inert Gas xenon is present in atmosphere, but unfortunately in a very low concentrations. It is possible to say that average room have few cubic centimetres of this gas. This gas was discovered by studying of evaporation of liquid gases carried by Morris Travers. After evaporation of liquid atmospheric gas, which contains helium, hydrogen, neon, oxygen, nitrogen and argon a very small amount of liquid remaining was left. This liquid was krypton gas, but after evaporation a very tiny amount of other gas was left. This gas was identified as xenon. This gas emitted very unusual white light with full spectrum, from orange to violet. This light emittance activated by electrical discharge can be explained by very big electron cloud of xenon, which contains 54 electrons. Wide spectrum of xenon gas emittance, from infra-red to ultraviolet, activated by electrical discharge in demand in many industrial applications. Xenon gas is used for manufacturing of high pressure light bulbs. The high pressure lamps are used for production of extremely intensive full spectrum light, from infra-red to ultraviolet. This light is used in orthochromatic cinematography. Another interesting application of xenon gas was discovered recently. Xenon molecules can be very hydrophobic and easily can bind with hydrophobic moieties of protein molecules. This binding can take place only at pressures of more than 5 atmospheres (70 psi). Xenon molecule is very electron rich and therefore these atoms can used as heavy atom derivatives for structure solutions. Currently more than 50 structures were solved with xenon. Coordinates for all these structures are submitted into RCSB data bank and everybody can look through these beautiful results. For convenience we prepare all pictures (normal and stereo view) of all xenon binding centres available in RCSB data bank now. As was mentioned before, xenon atoms significantly interact with x-ray. As an inert gas, xenon is absolutely safe for human body and therefore this gas is used in x-ray diagnostic medicine. In high concentrations xenon can act as anaesthetic by inhibiting of membrane calcium pumps with consequent inhibition of spinal dorsal horn neurons. Recently xenon considered as potential candidate for surgery as an anaesthetic agent due to significant reduction of production price with consequent anaesthetic price of about 2000 USD per hour of deep anaesthesia.
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Rare heavy inert gas xenon (Xe) despite its inertness is very important in modern life. Rare heavy inert gas xenon is widely used all aspects of science: in x-ray studies, in protein crystallography and in anaesthesiology. Also xenon gas is very important in all industrial branches where very intensive orthochromatic light is required. These applications became available only due to last scientific investigations in noble gas xenon chemistry.
You can read more about physical and chemical properties of inert gas xenon on the author website. For your knowledges you can read useful information about xenon binding spheres in proteins: 1c1m structure prepared by author.
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